Boundless photo guide

We know that the world is bigger than just us. So we seek to portray the places — and the people — that help the UW Be Boundless. Our photography style reflects and reinforces our brand promise and positioning, portraying moments in dramatic, authentic ways.

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Our creative approach exemplifies the Husky spirit: youthful, aspirational and optimistic, with a belief in perpetual possibility. As a guide, Boundless photography is embodied by three elements:

Brilliantly bold

How do we show our bold spirit and boundless determination photographically? Composition is king. A unique perspective or point of view sets a bold tone. A strong sense of depth and distance creates a boundless feel — think expansive. We see the world differently here, so share that perspective. Eye-level is great, but it is okay to see things from above, below, inside, etc. to make the viewpoint more intriguing. Share unseen moments; show the audience a sneak peek into a moment of brilliance. When showing UW people and places, keep as much scenery/landscape in the photo as possible. Try looking beyond the horizon to convey the University’s confidence and optimism. Show that everyone can Be Boundless in his or her life. Bold is not busy; keep everything open, simple.

DEPTH: Horizon and beyond, see full picture

SPACE: Open, simple, expansive

PERSPECTIVE: Above, below, etc.

UNIQUE: Behind-the-scenes, unseen moments, asymmetry

Dramatically beautiful

With one of the most beautiful campuses in the nation, Huskies have a lot to be proud of. Our connectivity to nature and our geographic region are an integral part of our collective mindset and ethos. Lighting is essential to creating dramatically beautiful images. Light should illuminate objects and people and buildings, and should start with a glow that emanates from the shadows. Capturing the look of sunrise or sunset, brings more complexity to the color palette and creates shadows. Illumination can come from many places: sun, candle, computer monitor, spotlight — but illumination starts from a source and works its way into the darkness, so images should have a strong sense of shadow and glow. Strive for a harmonious color palette among elements including the environment, attire and objects. And of course, using hints of purple or gold, continue to brand the images as the UW.

Authentically human

We are an authentic brand made up of real people doing amazing things. We believe our stories will create a connection to this place and relay our efforts to create a world of good. Images should create a story in the mind of the viewer and allow the audience to see themselves reflected in the photo’s ideal — generally make the action or the location can be multiple things to multiple people. Try showing juxtaposition, experiences and emotions. Our people are actively pursuing their work, they are in motion, and their passion and action create energy. Show the UW through our people, we connect their viewpoint to the world through images that portray their perspectives. They have a sense of confidence, while being relaxed and enjoying life. They are authentic in every way, and should be represented as they would normally be — reach to capture natural moments, not forced or artificial. Try shooting your subject at an angle or a distance that captures the magnitude of their impact. Consider interesting poses or a more photo-journalistic style. Above all, use images of people that create a personal connection with the viewer.

STORYTELLING: Emotive, authentic

ACTION: Engage, motion, energy

PERSPECTIVE: Sense of place, first person view

Attributes that make our images memorable:

Prominently featuring a person or people in a unique moment

A strong sense of light

Interesting, asymmetric compositions

Strong use of negative space

A sense of place

The inclusion of something purple (when appropriate)

Best practices

Capture close-up and detailed images of your subject and their work. A group or sequence of images can supplement the main portrait and better tell your story. Examples include close-ups of someone’s face, their hands or an object from their office or research, etc.

Use strong textures, colors and contrast to highlight interesting details

When photographing buildings, use dramatic lighting and depth whenever possible to emphasize the classical beauty of the architecture on campus

Keep as much sky in the photo as possible

What to avoid

Flash photography (use supplement light)

Unnatural or overly staged settings

Subjects wearing logo-wear from other universities

Situations where safety procedures are not being followed

Colors of rival universities

Technical guidelines

Take photos with high resolution — photos must be at a resolution of 300 dpi (2700 x 3600 pixels)

Use one of the following formats: high resolution JPEG files (.jpg), TIFF (.tiff) files or RAW (.dng)

Shoot photos in color and use 24-bit or higher color depth

Do not crop the in-camera image too tight. Shoot so the photograph can be cropped later with a wide view or a tight focus